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While MLB appears to still be at least a month away from restarting, we don’t have to wait any longer for some professional baseball and – most importantly – baseball DFS. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) is underway and DraftKings is welcoming the KBO into the fold with contests for big prizes. Saturday’s five-game KBO slate locks at 4:00 a.m. ET. Let’s breakdown some targets and values.
Set your lineups here: KBO $30K Relay Throw [$10K to 1st] (Korean Baseball)
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What to know about the KBO
PITCHER
Stud
William Cuevas, KTW at HAN, $8,000 – Cuevas is definitely not your typical top pitcher, but it’s thin at the top, so we’ll go after the best matchup. Cuevas is coming off his best start of the season (26.8 DKFP against a soft Lotte offense) and now faces the worst offense in KBO by a mile. He managed 19.5 DKFP in his first start of the season against Hanwha.
Value
Chan Heon Jung, LG at SK, $7,100 – Jung averages the second-most DKFP of any pitcher on the slate at 18.8 but is priced as the third cheapest. That doesn’t make much sense, particularly with a matchup against a below-average SK lineup. Jung has exceeded his DKFP average in three straight starts.
CATCHER
Stud
Se Hyuk Park, DOO vs. NCD, $3,300 – Catcher is a punt position at this point, and it’s difficult to even find a play in any price range. The two top-priced targets aren’t playing anywhere near a level worth investing in, then there’s a huge drop-off to mostly unproductive plays. Park is probably still more than I’m willing to spend at the position but he is at least a good ceiling option playing in a dangerous offense.
Value
Ji Young Lee, KIW vs. KIA, $2,200 – Lee offers even more savings and, at near-minimum, this is probably the route I’d look to take. He’s not a home run hitter, but hits for average and can get a few DKFP on the board for you. That’s all I’m asking for.
FIRST BASE
Stud
Baek Ho Kang, KTW at HAN, $6,100 – Kang’s a pricey play but comes with one of the safer floors along with a high ceiling. His splits are consistent across the board, and he’s played well against the Eagles in four games this season. This is a perfect opposite-hand matchup against a poor starter, followed by a terrible bullpen.
Value
Byungho Park, KIW vs. KIA, $4,400 – Park has been dominant over his past nine games, averaging 15.5 DKFP. He’s had outings of 22, 26 and 38 DKFP over that span and crushed five home runs. Keep riding him on a hot streak that could easily have him priced over $5,000 right now.
SECOND BASE
Stud
Keon Chang Seo, KIW vs. KIA, $4,100 – Seo’s been just as good or better than every 2B option priced ahead of him, so I like getting a cheaper, but productive stud here. Seo can get you points in chunks with a homer, or rack up a four-hit game as he did in his most recent outing. One way or another, I like the upside entering a favorable matchup.
Value
Joo Hwan Choi, DOO vs. NCD, $2,800 – Choi’s put some hot streaks together this season, including three 20-DKFP games in a row just about a week ago. He’s hit eight home runs so far this season, which is a ton for someone in this price range. Playing in Doosan’s offense is clearly benefiting Choi, but all we can do is take advantage of the price.
THIRD BASE
Stud
Jeong Choi, SK vs. LG, $5,000 – Third base is generally a pay down position, and I don’t think this slate’s any different. But if you do pay up, Choi’s really the lone consideration. He’s SS eligible, but I’d only consider him at 3B, and even that’s a stretch. Choi’s the only good hitter in a bad SK lineup, so you’re really just hunting for a long ball here, as evident by his game log.
Value
Kyoung Min Hur, DOO vs. NCD, $2,500 – Hur is another one of those cheap weapons in the Doosan offense that can make major contributions in the right environment. He has 26-DKFP and 32-DKFP outbursts in his past eight games as well as a floor that doesn’t really hurt you at such a cheap price. Hur is almost a no downside play.
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Ha Seong Kim, KIW vs. KIA, $5,300 – Kim’s been hot recently, averaging 17.2 DKFP over his past six contests. He has a great combination of power and speed, offering both home run and stolen base potential. At a position we often pay down, Kim might finally be worth investing in, especially with cheap plays looking more attractive at catcher and third base.
Value
Hye Sung Kim, KIW vs. KIA, $2,800 – Kim homered and scored 17 DKFP in the series opener against the Tigers, marking his seventh straight game with at least 5.0 DKFP. Getting even a floor game at $2,800 would pay off value, but the home run upside is welcomed.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Mel Rojas Jr., KT at HAN, $5,900 – Rojas has been adding to his insane .383/16/44 line and is absolutely worth dumping a large chunk of salary into. He’s homered in three of his past four, including the first game of the series against the Eagles. Rojas is averaging 14.5 DKFP against the Eagles this season and is extremely dangerous against the worst pitching staff in KBO.
Value
Ho Ryung Kim, KIA at KIW, $3,500 – Kim’s averaging 10.5 DKFP in 19 games this season, but it still priced as a backup. Kim’s now scored at least 14 DKFP in three of his past four, but his salary is down $300 entering Saturday.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.